Trolley-retriever.



' No. 787,527. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

F. M. MILLER.

TROLLEY RETRIEVBR.

' APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

3 SHEETS-4113B! 1.

INVENTOR No. 787,527. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

- v 1-. M. MILLER. I

TRO'L'LEY RETRIEVBR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1905.

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l BY N A MQMCY/I'OWIQ'S No. 787,527. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

. v P. M. MILLER. v

TROLLEY RETRIEVBR.

APP LIGATION FILED FEB. 2, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

[/VVEZVTOR Hume W I l B y I I f v A/zomeyS UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE;

TROLLEY-RETRIEVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,527, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed February 2, 1905. Serial No. 243,815.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that- I, FRANoIs M. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arcadia, in the county of Hamilton and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Retrievers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

tapered, as shown at 5 and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in the class of trolley-retrievers; and the object of said invention is to simplify the construction thereof, but at the same time produce a device which will promptly and efficiently respond to the demands made upon it.

In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, and a full and exact description thereof is contained in the annexed specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a car provided with my improved device. front of casing removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views of details of my device.

In the several views like letters of reference designate similar parts of my device.

A in the drawings represents the casing of my device, which is box-shaped and secured by any suitable means to the dash of a car, as shown in Fig. 1.

B is a U-shaped frame located betweenthe side of easing A and a partition A, one legof said U-shaped frame being hinged to the side of said casing at Z), the other leg of said frame B bearing against the partition A and being adapted to slide thereon when said frame .is swung on said hinge, and, if desirable, said leg 5 of said frame may be pivoted at Z2 to allow said leg to more readilyslide on said partition. To permit this swinging motion of the frame, one leg thereof is preferably B is a tensionspring normally holding said frame B in a tilted position, as shown in Fig. 2. C is a Fig. 2 is a plan view of my device with hollow drum revolubly mounted in said frame B. 6* is a hearing-block mounted on a pin 72 in the leg 5 of said frame B, as shown in Fig. 9, and adapted to receive the end of the axle of the drum C to prevent the movements of the leg 6' from displacing the axle from its bearing. D is a pawl pivoted at d and provided with a projection (1', adapted to engage a notch 0 in said drum 0 when lowered, as shown in Fig. 7 thus preventing rotation of said drum. Said pawl being constructed to rest upon said 'drum, it is obvious that when the latter is raised said pawl will also be raised, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 7 thereby disengaging the projection d from said notch c in the drum and permitting r0- tation of same. E is a smaller drum rev- 'olubly mounted Within said drum C and provided with a coiled spring E, secured thereto at one end and having its other end secured to drum at 0', whereby said smaller drum is allowed only a limited amount of rotation against the action of said spring to allow enough play of the trolley-rope F, secured thereto, to respond to the irregularities in the height of the trolley-wire. C (1 are a series of teeth extending around said drum C from the projection C to the notch C said teeth being adapted to mesh with a pinion G when said drum is raised,- as shown in Fig. 4:. Pinion G is mounted on a shaft 9, passing through the side of casing A and partition A and connected by suitable gearing H to the axle of the car, whereby said shaft g and pinion G are continuously revolved while the car is in motion. Thus when the teeth on said drum are made'to mesh with said pinion, as shown in Fig. I, rotary motion will be imparted to said drum until the notch G arrives under the pinion Gr, when the drum will cease its rotation, as shown in Fig. 6. The projection U is provided with a spring-snap Of, adapted to engage with a bar I to lock said drum when said notch C arrives under pinion G, as in Fig. 6.

K is a supporting-bar pivoted to frame B at k and adapted when in a vertical position to support said frame in a raised position. L is a spring normally holding said bar 70 in a vertical position.

M is a lever pivoted at m to a cross-bar N and provided at its lower end with a pivoted arm M, adapted to trip the bar 7:; to permit the frame B to fall. 0 is a spring normally holding said lever in the position shown in Fig. 4.

P P are rollers over which the trolley-rope slides and which prevent undue wear on said rope.

From the foregoing description the operation of my device is obvious and is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2, the large drum being locked, the inner drum is allowed enough rotation by the spring E to permit the trolley-rope to respond to the irregularities in the height of the trolley-wire; but when the trolley-wheel jumps the wire the rope immediately unwinds from the drum E and exerts a pull on same, which pull raises the frame B and drum 0, at the same time unlocking said drum and throwing the teeth 0' thereof into engagement with pinion G, whereupon said drum C will be set in motion, winding the rope F thereon, and thus pulling down the trolley-pole until the notch C of the drum C arrives under pinion G, when the drum will cease to rotate and will be locked by the spring-snap C engaging bar I, which will retain said pole in its lowered position. When it is desired to free the pole and replace the wheel on the wire, the lever M is thrown to trip the bar K, allowing the frame B and drum C to fall, whereupon said drum will be unlocked, thus permittingthe rope F to be withdrawn therefrom. When said rope has been withdrawn, drum C will again be locked by pawl D, and after the trolley-wheel has been replaced on the wire the drum E will be rotated by the spring E, which has been held in tension, to take up the slack of rope F.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In .a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a drum revolubly mounted in said casing and provided with ratchet-teeth, means for automatically throwing said pinion and ratchetteeth into engagement, means for automatically locking said drum when the trolley-pole has been drawn down and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with acasing secured to the car, of a continuouslyrevolving pinion mounted therein, a drum revolubly mountedin said casing, means whereby said drum will permit a limited play of the trolley-rope, ratchet-teeth on said drum, means for automatically throwing said pinion and ratchet-teeth into engagement, means for automatically locking said drum when the trolley-pole has been drawn down with a casing secured to the car, of acontinuously-revolving pinion mounted thereon, a

drum revolubly mounted in said casing and provided with ratchet-teeth, means for locking said drum, a smaller drum revolubly mounted within the larger drum, the amount of rotation of said smaller drum being limited, means for automatically unlocking said larger drum and throwing the teeth thereof into engagement with said pinion, means for automatically locking said larger drum when the trolley-pole has been drawn down and means for releasing said drum to permit the trolleyrope to be unwound therefrom, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a frame hinged to and within said casing and normally retained in a lowered position, a drum revolubly mounted in said frame and provided with ratchet-teeth, means for automatically raising said frame to throw the teeth on said drum into engagement with said pinion, means for automatically locking said drum when the trolley-pole has been drawn down and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a frame hinged to and within said casing and normally retained in a lowered position, a drum revolubly mounted in said frame, means whereby said drum will permit a limited play of the trolley-rope, ratchet-teeth on said drum, means for automatically raising said frame to throw said teeth on said drum into engagement with said pinion, means for automatically locking said drum when the trolleypole has been drawn down and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a frame hinged to and within said casing and normally retained in a lowered position, a drum revolubly mounted in said frame and provided with ratchet-teeth, means for locking said drum when said frame is lowered, a smaller drum revolubly mounted in said larger drum, the amount of rotation of said smaller drum being limited, means for automatically unlocking said drum and raising said frame to throw the teeth on said drum into engagement with said pinion, means for automatically locking said larger drum when the trolley-pole has been drawn down and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

IIO

7. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a drum revolubly mounted in said casing, a series of ratchet teeth extending partially around said drum, said drum being provided with a notch between the terminals of said series of teeth, means for automatically throwing said drum and ratchet-teeth into engagement, means for automatically locking said drum when said notch arrives under said pinion and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

for automatically locking said larger drum when said notch arrives under said pinion and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a trolley-retriever, the combination with a casing secured to the car, of a continuously-revolving pinion mounted therein, a frame hinged to and within said casing and normally retained in a lowered position, a drum revolubly mounted in said frame, a series of ratchet teeth extending partially around said drum, said drum being provided with a notch between the terminals of said series of teeth, means for automatically raising said frame to throw said teeth into engagement with said pinion, means for automatically locking said drum when said notch arrives under said pinion and means for releasing said drum, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

F. H. HUBBARD, J K. MOORE. 

